Description
Being sold as a turnkey operation, the ranch is fully stocked with a quality cow herd and all the equipment to operate. Located in a high desert and mountain environment, the cows have been culled extensively to be able to thrive here. Last year, with no hay supplementation, both the steers and heifer calves weaned at over 600 pounds. Emphasis has been put on weaning weight in these cattle as well as carcass merit. With over 1,100 acres under irrigation, 660 acres under 2021 Zimmatic pivots, the ranch cannot only feed its cattle but can operate as a hay enterprise as well. With all the irrigated ground being over 6,400 feet in elevation, grass meadows best suit the environment. All oft he fields are planted in a well-established orchard grass, alfalfa, and meadow brome mix. Extensive work has been done to maintain the facilities that the Pitchfork has to offer. Eight houses are located at ranch headquarters, along with quality working facilities and several barns. The Pitchfork is one of the only properties on the upper Greybull River plumbed with natural gas, to keep utility bills at a manageable cost. The Pitchfork is owner rated to carry 1300 cows. The ranch has two Forest Service allotments in the summer, one allotment is for 925 cow/calf pairs from July 10th-August28th, and the other allotment is for 127 cow/calf pairs from July 1st-September 30th. Outside of these fixed dates the cattle run on a combination of deeded ground along with BLM and state leases. The cattle spend the majority of their life on rangeland but are usually brought in to irrigated meadows in the month leading up to shipping in the fall. The Pitchfork is well known for its abundant wildlife. Since the implementation of the Hunt Management Areas by the Wyoming Game and Fish the ranch has been enrolled in the “Access Yes” program. Last year the ranch turned in over 140 landowner coupons, meaning that over 140 deer, antelope, or elk were harvested on deeded lands. The ranch allows for two landowner coupons for each one of these species, with antelope and elk having a choice between two areas. The areas are as follows: Deer- Area 116 / Elk- Area 61 or 62 /Antelope- Area 110 or 82. The Pitchfork is also home to the purest strain of Yellowstone cutthroat trout found in the US. The Greybull River and its tributaries provide some of the best fishing in the state for the Yellowstone cutthroat, along with a healthy population of mountain whitefish. The Pitchfork controls access to over 7.5 miles of the Greybull River and has many miles of tributaries that hold fish as well. There are ongoing projects with the Wyoming Game and Fish to keep this fishery pristine while improving irrigation diversions. The Pitchfork Ranch is fortunate enough to have excellent water rights, with a multitude of territorial water rights as well as stored water rights. In drought years this rarely puts any strain on irrigated ground. Numerous improvements have been made to the irrigation infrastructure over the years. The most important of these improvements are 7 Zimmatic Pivots that were installed in 2022. These pivots function off one pipeline with a territorial water right feeding the pipeline. Six of the pivots are gravity fed, with the other pivot having a 10hp motor. The pivots can irrigate roughly 660 acres. In 2022 one cutting of hay on the pivots produced 2 tons per acre, in 2023 with fertilizer the pivots produced 3.4 tons per acre in one cutting. In addition to the pivots, the Pitchfork currently has 448 acres under flood irrigation. With just over 1100 acres in hay production the ranch has been able to keep enough hay to get the cattle through winter and add extra income through hay sales. Other improvements are currently in the works in cooperation with the Wyoming Game and Fish. Aging headgates on ditches are being replaced to not only allow easier access to irrigation water, but also to benefit fish passage by headgates. Listing agent is the acting Ranch Manager
